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PART 1

Section A

The Sentence And Its structure

Chapter one: HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVE SENTENCES

Exercise 1

Enlarge the subject and extend the verb. There should be at least fifteen words in each
new sentence.

a. The girls danced.

The sweet little girls with long hair and brown eyes danced Bharatanatyam beautifully
for two hours without a break.
b. The little girl is here.
The little girl who had been to France for a week is back here for her routine medical
check-up.

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c. Raju and his brother failed the exam.
My neighbour Raju and his lazy brother Ravi failed the University entrance exam
most tragically.
d. The sun shone.
The bright yellow sun shone amazingly over the vast horizon while I was having a
good time at the beach with my friends.
e. A wind is blowing.
A fierce wind is blowing over my roof top like an impatient intruder struggling to
break in.

Exercise 2

Rewrite as directed.

a. John, the Managing Director, left the office after making all the arrangements
for the next day’s Board Meeting and cleared all the pending files. (Turn this into
a periodic sentence.)
# After making all the arrangements for the next day’s board meeting and clearing all
the pending files, John, the Managing Director, left the office.

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b. He climbed a wall near him and cried for help. (Rewrite this sentence as simple
one using an ing-phrase in the place of first clause.)
Climbing a wall near him, he cried for help.
c. He is industrious and diligent and works very hard. (Rewrite improving the
style.)
He is industrious, diligent and hard working.
d. In the forest camp I heard the cries of owls, the elephants, the wild asses and the
wolves. (Rewrite using the correct cry words.)
In the forest camp I heard the hooting of owls, the trumpeting of elephants, the braying
of wild asses and the howling of wolves.
e. Jumping into a truck he saw the thief escape. (Rewrite removing the
mismatching.)
He saw the thief jumping into a truck and escape. {Here the mismatch is with regard to who
actually ‘jumped into the truck’-he or the thief. I assume it as a mismatched/dangling modifier}

Chapter Two: PHRASES – WHAT ARE THEY?

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Exercise

Rewrite as directed.

a. ------------------------, she prayed fervently to her favourite god. (Fill in the gap
with an –ing phrase.)

Folding her arms, she prayed fervently to her favourite god.

b. --------------------------, he forgot himself and shouted at the manager. (Fill in with a

past participle phrase.)
Clogged with emotions, he forgot himself and shouted at the manager.
c. The sun was setting in the west when the birds returned to their nest. (Make it a
simple sentence using an absolute phrase.)
The sun setting in the west, the birds returned to their nests.
d. -----------------------, the man sat in the shade of a tree,---------------. (Complete the
sentence using a phrase beginning with an adverb.)
After having a sumptuous meal, the man sat in the shade of a tree, and slept for a
while.

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e. She did not attend the lecture because she was ill. (Make it a simple sentence
using a phrase.)
Being ill, she did not attend the lecture. (OR)
Owing to her illness she did not attend the lecture.
f. Though he was ill, he refused to take rest. (Make it a simple sentence using a
phrase instead.)
Despite being ill, he refused to take rest. (OR)
Inspite of being ill, he refused to take rest.
g. When he was young, he was a good looking chap. (Make it a simple sentence
using a verbless phrase.)
When young, he was a good looking chap.

Chapter Three: THE NOUN CLAUSES

Exercise 1

Identify the noun clauses in the following sentences.

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a. Nobody knows what he has in his mind, which is a very dark place.
b. When his thought comes to my mind, I think of what he told me once.
c. I discovered that the boy who came here was John’s brother.
d. He finds the idea that the earth is round very hard to believe for he thinks that
the earth cannot be round.
e. Nobody knows where he is now but this is the house where he used to live in.

Exercise 2

Complete the following sentences, each with a noun clause.

a. He is a liar and so you need not believe ------------------------

b. -------------------------- turned out to be completely wrong.
c. He defended the murder on the ground --------------------------
d. This is ---------------------------------------
e. Do you know --------------------------------------

a) He is a liar and so you need not believe what he is says.

b) That he knows all about art turned out to be completely wrong.
c) He defended the murder on the ground that he was out of station.

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d) This is what I believe to be true.

e) Do you know that we are supposed to finish the project by Monday?

Chapter Four: THE ADVERB CLAUSE

Exercise 1

Identify and underline the adverb clauses in the following sentences.

a. The camel, which is called the ship of the desert, walks on two very broad toes so
that it does not sink into the powdery sand.
b. When we met, he asked me to see the problem as other people saw it.
c. Happiness, which we all love to possess, will not come to us unless we make others
happy.
d. You are an outsider and so I advise you to stay away because people do not like
intervention by outsiders.
e. I do not know where he lives but his brother lives where this road divides.

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Answer:

a. The camel, which is called the ship of the desert, walks on two very broad toes so
that it does not sink into the powdery sand. (relative adverb)
b. When we met, he asked me to see the problem as other people saw it. (adverb
clause of time)
c. Happiness, which we all love to possess, will not come to us unless we make others
happy. (relative adverb)
d. You are an outsider and so I advise you to stay away because people do not like
intervention by outsiders. (adverb clause of reason)
e. I do not know where he lives but his brother lives where this road divides. (adverb
clause of place)

Exercise 2

Complete the following sentences, each with an adverb clause.

a. -----------------, there is a way.

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b. --------------------, you would pass the test.

c. ------------------------, she went out for a walk.
d. She was so weak ---------------------------------.

a. Where there is a will, there is a way.

b. If you studied hard, you would pass the test.
c. Before the event started, she went out for a walk.
d. She was so weak that she could hardly walk.

Chapter Five: “IF ALL THE TREES WERE BREAD AND CHEESE”

Exercise 1

Complete the following sentences, each with a conditional clause.

a. ------------------, people would like you.

b. ------------------, you will get higher marks.
c. --------------------------, the incident would not have happened.

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d. ----------------------, he will not withdraw the case against you.
e. ----------------------, and you will grow stronger muscles.

a. If you behaved well, people would like you.

b. If you study well, you will get higher marks.
c. If he had listened to his father, the incident would not have happened.
d. Even if you pay all the money, he will not withdraw the case against you.
e. If you follow a protein-based diet, and you will grow stronger muscles.

Exercise 2

a. He will withdraw the case provided you pay compensation. (Rewrite using
‘unless’.)
Unless you pay the compensation, he will not withdraw the case.
b. If you behave yourself, others will respect you. (Turn this into type 2 condition.)
If you behaved yourself, others would respect you.
c. If you do not water the plants they dry up. (Rewrite with ‘unless’.)
Unless you water the plants, they will dry up.
d. Write a sentence with a conditional clause in the beginning with ‘on condition
that’.
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On condition that you finish your homework, you may go to the park.
e. Give an example of an infinitival phrase expressing condition.
To be a soldier, you have to be physically fit.
To become an actor, you have to be talented.
(An infinitive phrase will begin with an infinitive [to + simple form of the verb]. It will include
objects and/or modifiers.)

Chapter Six: THE RELATIVE CLAUSE

Exercise

Rewrite as directed.

a. Cape Comorin, which is the land’s end of India, is an important tourist

destination where people come from all over the world so that they may see what
the place has to offer. (Analyse)

The first clause(which is the land’s end of India) is a non-defining one (gives

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additional information about the antecedent (noun) ‘Cape Comorin’) and forms the
subject of the verb ‘is’ in the relative clause. In the second clause (where people come
from all over the world) ‘where’ functions as a conjunction joining two clauses.

b. This place is ----------------. (Add a defining relative clause.)

This place is where my brother lives.
c. Dr. Manmohan Singh,--------------------- is a noted economist. (Add a non-defining
relative clause.)
Dr. Manmohan Singh, who graduated from the university of Cambridge, is a noted
economist.

d. Gita spends her time ------------- and associating herself with---------------.

(Rewrite as a complex sentence with the underlined phrases as relative clauses.)
Gita spends her time helping the poor and associating herself with noble causes.

Gita spends her time for the poor who needs help and associates herself with causes
that are noble.

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e. A man was seen prowling around in the night. He looked like a thief. (Combine
into one complex sentence turning the second sentence into an adjectival clause.)
A man who looked like a thief was seen prowling around in the night.
f. Write a sentence which has both a defining and a non-defining relative clause in
it.
The car that belongs to my neighbour, which went missing last week, was found in a
ditch. (the first one is defining and the second is non-defining)

It is decided that we shall raise a fund for the ‘Sishu Bhavan’, which helps homeless
children.(the first one is defining and the second is non-defining)

g. Write a sentence which has relative clauses beginning with ‘who’ and ‘which’.
Yesterday, I saw a girl who lives in the second street, carrying bags which were torn.

Chapter Seven: HOW CLAUSES ARE CONJOINED

Exercise 1

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Analyse the following.

a. When they received the information that the police were on their way to catch
them, they fled to the forest where they intended to hide till the danger was over.
In the given sentence-
 ‘When [conjunction]they received the information’- adverb clause of time.
 ‘that [relative pronoun] the police were on their way’- adjective clause
 ‘they fled to the forest’- main clause
 ‘where[relative adverb] they intended to hide’- adjective clause
 ‘till [conjunction] the danger was over’- adverb clause of time

b. Though he said that he was in a hurry, he stayed on because of the rain and left
only after the rain has stopped.
 ‘though [conjunction]he said’- adverb clause of concession
 ‘that [relative pronoun] he was in a hurry’- noun clause
 ‘he stayed on’- main clause
 ‘because [conjunction] of the rain’- adverb clause of reason
 ‘(he) left’- main clause

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 ‘only after [conjunction] the rain has stopped’- adverb clause of time

c. When the police arrived, it was discovered that the call which they had received
was a false one.
 ‘when [conjunction] the police arrived’- adverb clause of time
 ‘it was discovered’- main clause
 ‘that [relative pronoun] the call which they had received was a false one’- noun
clause
d. He creates problems wherever he goes although he is simple man.
 ‘he creates problems’- main clause
 ‘wherever [adverb] he goes’- adverb clause of place
 ‘although [conjunction] he is a simple man’- adverb clause of concession

e. Though I did not believe the story he told me, I gave him some money so that he
could buy medicine which he badly needed.
 ‘though [conjunction] I did not believe the story he told me’- adverb clause of
concession

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 ‘I gave him some money’- main clause
 ‘so that [conjunction] he could buy some medicine’- adverb clause of purpose
 ‘which [relative pronoun] he badly needed’- adjective clause

Exercise 2

Examine how the clauses are conjoined in the above sentences say what part of speech
(conjunction, relative pronoun etc.) they are.

Answer is the same as above

Section B

Word-Classes and Related Topics

Chapter eight:Understanding the Verb

Exercise

Rewrite as directed.

a. He ran a _____ . (Supply a cognate object.)

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Ans: race
b. He became extremely angry on hearing this. (Identify the linking verb and its
complement in this sentence.)
Ans: The linking verb is ‘became’. The complement of this linking verb is ‘extremely
angry’.
c. Use any five linking verbs in sentences of your own.
Ans: The sky looked grey.
Joey is a comedian
Rumi was a rich businessman.
The man felt nervous.
She grew impatient.
d. A past participle has three uses. Illustrate these uses with the past participle ‘broken’.
Ans: There are three main uses for past participle in English:
(i) Perfect Tenses- I have broken my arm.
(ii) Adjectives-My window is broken.
(iii) Passive Voice-My window was broken by that boy with the rock.
e. The object of verb can be a noun, a pronoun, a phrase, an infinitive or a clause. Write
illustrative sentence.

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Ans: He reads a book (noun).
He hates me (pronoun).
He asked a passer-by to read the new words on the placard (noun phrase).
You must remember that you are not children (noun clause).

f. What are the two uses of the present participle (The –ing form)? Write illustrative
sentences.
Ans: (i) Adjective- Barking dogs seldom bite.
(ii) Continuous Tense- My dog is barking.
g. Write a sentence in which the verb phrase consists of three auxiliaries and a participle.
Ans: “By the end of next year I will have been standing on my head for fifty years”, he
continued.
standing- participle
will- auxiliary verb
have- auxiliary verb
been- auxiliary verb
h. The verb is defined as a word that says that the subject of a sentence does, is, or
suffers something. Show this with illustrative sentences.
Ans: eg. My dog is barking.
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The subject ‘dog’ is doing an action i.e. barking.

eg. Three cities in the country’s interior were bombed.
The subject ‘three cities’ has suffered because of the action bombing.

Chapter Nine

Understanding Auxiliary Verbs

Exercise

Rewrite as directed.

a. She promised to help me and she helped me.(Rewrite the sentence avoiding the
repetition by using ‘do’ in its place.)
Ans: She promised to help me and she did it.
b. Use the ‘be + infinitive’ structure in such a way that it shows an arrangement.
Ans: The president is to inaugurate the new building.
c. The sentence ‘she could answer all the questions’ does not mean she answered all the
questions. ‘Could’ can show only ability in the past. Rewrite the sentence suggesting
ability + performance.

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Ans: She was able to answer all the questions.
d. Write two sentences to illustrate how, while ‘can’ shows theoretical possibility, ‘may’
shows practical possibility.
Ans: Accidents can happen at any time.
There is a political rally in the afternoon; vehicular traffic may be affected.
e. What is the modal auxiliary verb that shows moral obligation? Write an illustrative
sentence.
Ans: ‘Ought to’ shows moral obligation.
You ought to finish your homework before you watch T.V.
f. Write an illustrative sentence to show how ‘would’ can show past habit.
Ans: On Sundays he would go for a walk.
g. Write the question form of ‘She used to go to market on Sundays.’
Ans: Where did she use to go on Sundays?
h. Write two sentences so as to bring out the difference between ‘did not need’ and ‘need
not have’.
Ans: I need not have gone there; the officer was on leave.
I need not have asked him; he felt so bad.
I did not need to go there; I met the officer on the way.
I did not need to read the book; I watched the movie version of the same.

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Chapter Ten

Understanding Adverbs

Exercise

a. Give an example for a sentence beginning with a sentence adverb.

Ans: Clearly, there have been unacceptable delays.
b. She sang (Yesterday, in the Town Hall, at 2 o’clock, very sweetly). (Arrange the
adverbs in the proper order.)
Ans: She sang very sweetly in the Town Hall, yesterday at 2 O’clock.
c. An adverb can modify even a proposition. Give an illustration.
Ans: Thousands listened to the concert from outside.
‘Outside’ is the complement of the preposition ‘from’.
d. She presented her argument _____ . (Complete the sentence with an adverb phrase.)
Ans: She presented her argument as she wanted to put her thought before all.
e. She proceeded, by taxi, to the airport. (Improve the style.)
Ans: She proceeded to the airport by taxi.
f. Such an arrangement will be very perfect. (Correct the sentence.)

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Ans: Such an arrangement will be perfect.
g. The teacher spoke _____ of Raju. (Choose ‘high’ or ‘highly’.)
Ans: The teacher spoke highly of Raju.
h. Liquids ferment due to the action of germs. (Correct the sentence.)
Ans: Liquids ferment owing to the action of germs.

Chapter Eleven

Understanding Pronouns

Exercise

a. Just as he cares for his child, I care for my child. (Use a possessive pronoun in the
place of the underlined phrase.)
Ans: Just as he cares for his child,I care for mine.
b. The two brothers decided to stand by one another. (Make it more grammatical.)
Ans: The two brothers decided to stand by each other.
c. The guests arrived are taking rest in the parlour. (Make the sentence conform to
accepted usage.)
Ans: The guests who arrived are taking rest in the parlour.
d. Show with an example how a pronoun can join two sentences.
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Ans: I have a friend. She lives in New England.

I have a friend who lives in New England.
e. Give two examples each (in sentences) for the three categories of the indefinite
pronouns.
Ans: Universal Pronouns
(i) Each of you should attend the function.
(ii) All girls want to irritate Saran.
(iii) Every citizen should stand against this law.

Partitive Pronouns

(i) Somebody ate my Sandwich.

(ii) Something is making my computer act up.
(iii) No one wants to hear about my health problems.

Quantifying Pronouns

(i) Much of the snow has already melted.

(ii) Most colleges have their own admission policy.
(iii) He’s got only a few dollars.

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Exercise
Chapter Twelve

The Reflexive Pronoun

a. A reflexive pronoun shows that a person does something to himself. Write two
sentences to illustrate this.
Ans: John hurt himself.
He has no control over himself.
b. Give two examples to illustrate the emphatic use of the reflexive pronoun.
Ans: when reflexive pronouns are used to put emphasis on a particular noun they are
called emphatic pronouns.
Eg. She herself told me this.
I spoke to the Managing Director myself.
c. I availed of two days’ leave and went home. (Modify the sentence to make it conform
to accepted usage.)
Ans: I availed myself of two days’ leave and went home.
d. Which one of the following sentences is correct?

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1. She looked behind herself.

2. She looked behind her.

Ans: She looked behind her.

e. The engine shuts off by itself. (Use a single adverb having the same meaning as the
underlined phrase.)
Ans: The engine shuts off automatically.

Chapter Thirteen

THE ARTICLES I

EXERCISE

a) Use the correct form of the indefinite article before the following words and
phrases. 1. European 2. Young man 3. Woman 4. Historical incident 5. Hotel 6. Ear
7. Year 8. F.M radio 9.MP 10.honest boy
Ans: 1. A European 2. A young man 3. A woman 4. An historical incident 5. An
hotel 6. An ear 7. A year 8. An FM Radio 9. An MP
10. An honest boy.

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b)Identify the instances where the indefinite article has been wrongly used 1. A data 2.
An information 3. An ear 4. A scenery 5. A news 6. An advise 7. A road 8. A furniture 9.
A bed 10. A phenomena

Ans: Data, information, scenery, news, advise, furniture, phenomena

c) Tiger is a wild animal (correct the sentence)

Ans: The Tiger is a wild animal.

d) Shelly writes a poetry which is of the heart.This sentence is correct though poetry is an
uncountable noun. What is the explanation?
Ans: ‘a poetry’ means ‘a kind of poetry’.
e) Bicycle fell into a pit but rider was unhurt though bicycle was damaged in accident
(use articles wherever necessary)
Ans: A bicycle fell into a pit but the rider was unhurt though the bicycle was damaged
in the accident.

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Chapter Fourteen

THE ARTICLES II

EXERCISE

Rewrite the following sentences inserting the articles (a/an and the) wherever necessary.

a) Panama canal connect Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.

Ans: The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.
b) Nile is river in Egypt; it is longest river in the world.
Ans: The Nile is a river in Egypt; it is the longest river in the world.
c) But for the revolution of earth and moon around sun we would not have day and
night.
Ans: But for the revolution of the earth and the moon around the sun we would not
have day and night.
d) Kalidasa is Shakespeare of India.
Ans: Kalidasa is the Shakespeare of India.
e) While she was reading Bible, her husband was playing piano.
Ans: While she was reading the Bible, her husband was playing a piano.

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f)

g)
Though I went to hospital day before yesterday, I could not see patient I wanted to
see.
Ans: Though I went to the hospital day before yesterday, I could not see the patient
I wanted to see.
Mahabharata is greatest epic of Indian Subcontinent.
Ans: The Mahabharata is the greatest epic of the Indian Subcontinent.
h) More you read, more knowledgeable you become.
Ans: The more you read, the more knowledgeable you become.

Chapter Fifteen

THE ADJECTIVE

EXERCISE

a) What is a noun adjective? Use three noun adjectives in a single sentence.

Ans: A noun can sometimes serve as an adjective and such noun are known as
noun adjective.
b) The ----- girl walked along the ------ street in the company of her friend who was
her ----- companion. (insert appropriate adjectives)

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Ans: The tall girl walked along the deserted street in the company of her friend
who was her constant companion.
c) Write a sentence in which there are atleast two adjectives predicatively used.
Ans: This stretch of water is dangerous and Jan feels nauseating.
d) An expensive, elaborate many coloured, well varnished Renaissance painting.
Write another string of adjectives on the model of this string.
Ans: large deep-hued string beans smoking-hot and seasoned well with salt and
butter
e) Please fetch the green file from my table. Rewrite this sentence with the adjective
‘green’ predicatively used.
Ans: Please fetch the file in green from my table.
f) Show that the present participle and the past participle can be used as adjectives.

Ans: Present Participle (-ing) is used to describe something or someone.

eg. "I watched an interesting TV show about American history last night."
"This film is boring. Let's stop watching it."

Past Participle (-ed) is used to describe how people feel about something or
someone.

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"I'm interested in American history."
"I'm bored of my job. I want to find another one."

g) This is very impossible proposition. Point out and correct the grammatical problem
in the sentence.
Ans: This is totally impossible proposition.
h) Write a sentence in which the subject is a ‘the + adjective’ phrase.
Ans: The best is yet to come.

Chapter Sixteen

PHRASAL VERBS

EXERCISE

Rewrite the following using appropriate phrasal verbs.

a) The two boys attacked each other with their fists.

Ans: The two boys went at each other with their fists.
b) I was cheated by my business partner over the deal.
Ans: I was took in my business partner over the deal.
c) I will visit your residence on my way home.
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Ans: I will call on your residence on my way home.

d) The plane started its flight at 7 o’clock.
Ans: The plane took off at 7 o’clock.
e) His business failed because of poor management.
Ans: His business went under because of poor management.

Chapter Seventeen

MIND YOUR PREPOSITIONS

EXERCISE

Supply the correct prepositions.

a) Wine is made------grapes and is stored in casks made------wood.

Ans: Wine is made from grapes and is stored in casks made of wood.

b) When he had to part------his money, the miser wept more bitterly than when he
parted----his daughter.
Ans: When he had to part with his money, the miser wept more bitterly than when

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he parted from his daughter.
c) John is------the navy but his brother is-----the faculty of technical university.
Ans: John is in the navy but his brother is the faculty of technical university.
d) At nights he dreams------wonderlands; when awake he dreams-----becoming the
richest man in the world.
Ans: At nights he dreams about wonderlands; when awake he dreams of
becoming the richest man in the world.
e) I only congratulated him------his promotion but he got angry----me and shouted----
me.
Ans: I only congratulated him on his promotion but he got angry with me and
shouted at me.
f) You may not agree---me but your son is very poor----mathematics.
Ans: You may not agree with me but your son is very poor at mathematics.
g) My son went ----- with measles; he had caught it ------ one of his classmates.
Ans: My son went down with measles; he had caught it from one of his classmates.
h) The car bumped----- a tree ---- Bell- Tower junction.
Ans: The car bumped into a tree at Bell- Tower junction.

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Section C
Chapter Eighteen : CONCORD

EXERCISE

a) Write three illustrative sentences to show what is meant by subject-object

complement concord, pronoun complement concord, and subject complement
concord.
(i) Pablo is extremely intelligent. (subject complement)
(ii) Shyla eventually became my best friend. (subject complement)
(iii) Our neighbor's dogs are very dangerous. (subject complement)
(iv) The gift Karen gave her brother was a guitar. (subject complement)

(i) I find him intelligent. (object complement)

(ii)We painted the ceiling blue. (object complement)
(iii) You are making me sad. (object complement)
(iv) I once considered Nancy my fiercest enemy. (object complement)

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In addition to nouns, pronouns may also perform the function of subject complement.
Examples of pronouns as subject complements include the following:
(i) You resemble somebody I know.
(ii)The strange man in the video remains nobody important.
(iii) It was he who caught the thief yesterday.
b) Neither my brother nor I ----- responsible for what has happened (insert the verb)
Neither my brother nor I am responsible for what has happened.

c) John as well as his sister---- taking part in the training programme. (supply the
correct form of be.)
John as well as his sister is taking part in the training programme.

d) There ----- a small observatory, a restaurant and a rest house on the top of the
hill. (supply the correct form of the verb be.)
There is a small observatory, a restaurant and a rest house on the top of the hill.

e) I am senior to you.----? (supply the question tag.)

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I am senior to you, aren’t I ?

f) Ravi, John and I visited----- old teacher. (supply the possessive adjective.)

Ravi, john and I visited our old teacher.

g) Not only John but also his brother ----- present on the occasion. (supply the
correct verb form.)
Not only John but also his brother was present on the occasion.

h) More than one warning ------ issued to the striking employees by the company.
(supply the correct form of be.)
More than one warning was issued to the striking employees by the company.

Chapter Twenty : ERRORS, COMMON AND UNCOMMON

EXERCISE

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Rewrite as directed

a) The rider fell-----his horse. (down from/off)

The rider fell off his horse.
b) There is a new star ----- the horizon. (use the correct preposition.)
There is a new star on the horizon.
c) With the help of a dictionary make a list of five phrasal verbs consisting of ‘fall + an
adverb particle’ and use them in sentences.

(i)Fall Apart = .1. Break into pieces eg:This chair has fallen apart.
2. Become emotionally upset and incapable of behaving normally
After Tanya lost her job and her husband left her, she completely fell
apart.

(ii)Fall Back = Retreat (especially in the case of an army)

The general ordered the soldiers to fall back to a safer location.

(iii)Fall Back On =Have the option to use something if other plans are not successful.
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If I don’t get this job, I still have my freelance work to fall back on.

(iv)Fall Behind= Not make sufficient progress to stay on schedule.

We fell behind on the project and finished it ten days late.

(v)Fall Down / Fall Over =When a person or structure falls to the ground.
The skaters fell down in the middle of their performance.

d) He has visited France. (Say the same thing in another way.)

He has been to France.

e) His failure is owing to his lack of interest in studies (Make the sentence conform to
accepted usage.)
He failed owing to a lack of interest in studies.

Chapter Twenty-One : FALSE WITNESS

EXERCISE

RCMAS-ENGLISH
Rewrite as directed

a) Find out the meaning of the lookalike words ‘mitigate’ and ‘militate’ and use
them in sentences.
militate / mitigate
These are not very common words, but people who use them—especially
lawyers—tend to mix them up.
“Militate” means to fight for a cause. It is usually followed by “against” in a phrase
that means “works against”: “His enthusiasm for spectacular collisions militates
against his becoming a really effective air traffic controller.”

“Mitigate” means almost the opposite: to make easier, to moderate, to lessen the
severity. “His pain at leaving was mitigated by her passionate kiss.” It should not be
followed by “against.”

b) What is the difference between ‘judicious’ and ‘judicial’? Find out also the
difference between ‘uninterested’ and ‘disinterested’. Use both pairs of words in
sentences.
Judicial & Judicious.
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Judicial means relating to a judge, to a legal court system, or to the judiciary: “The
criminal has been sent to judicial remand for ten days.” Judicious, on the other hand,
means showing sound judgment: “We should be judicious in our selection of friends.”
‘Uninterested’ and ‘Disinterested’
An uninterested person is bored, unconcerned, or indifferent; a disinterested person is
impartial, unbiased, or has no stake in the outcome.
Squiggly couldn't help yawning; he was uninterested in fishing stories.
The ex-wife can hardly be considered a disinterested party.

c) He paints and writes poetry. (Rewrite using ‘as well as’ structure.)
He paints as well as writing poetry.
[When ‘as well as’ joins two verb forms, it means ‘in addition to’ and then it is not
followed by a finite verb. Use gerund ‘-ing’ form instead.]

d) He said that he had not stolen anything.. (Rewrite using ‘denied’ in the place
‘said’.)
He denied that he had stolen anything.

RCMAS-ENGLISH
e) He could not stand on his legs. (Rewrite using ‘hardly’.)
He could hardly stand on his legs.

Chapter Thirty-Two : WORD FORMATION

EXERCISE

a) What is a prefix? Give examples for all kinds of negative prefixes using them in
words.
A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word. For example, in the
word ‘unhappy’, ‘un’ is the prefix placed before the root word ‘happy’.
Negative prefixes
Dis – disinclined
Un – unfair
In- inability
Non - nonpractising
A – amoral

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Reversative prefix suggests reversing of action, deprival etc. For example: unseat,
deforestation, disown etc. Pejorative prefixes too attach a negative meaning to the root
word. Example: misbehaving, malfunction, pseudonym etc.

b) With the help of a dictionary give ten examples each for noun and bahuvrihi
compounds.
Bahuvrihi is a compound word functioning as an adjective whose last element is in
origin a noun. The first word is a feature or quality of the second. For example, in the
phrase high-fiber diet, the compound high-fiber is a bahuvrihi modifying diet that ends
in the noun fiber. More examples:
(i) Bare foot
(ii)Lowlife
(iii)Blue collar
(iv) White collar
(v) Tender foot
(vi) High brow
(vii) Hunch back
(viii) Blue bell

RCMAS-ENGLISH
(ix) Redhead
(x) Gray beard

Noun Compounds: two nouns combined to form a completely new word. The new
meaning is significantly different from both the individual parts.
Examples: Blackboard, full moon, dry clean, haircut, rain fall, underworld,
time piece, wrist watch, arm chair, airport

c) Give ten examples each for words beginning with prefixes of time and order.
Prefixes of time and order

(i) Pre – Pre-determine

(ii) Fore –Fore-ward
(iii)Post – Post-graduate
(iv)Ex - Ex-minister
(v) Re – resettle
(vi) Ante – antechamber

d) What are the suffixes we use to make nouns? Give ten examples.
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Noun suffixes : Payment, editor, accountant, payee, exploration, building, highness,

boyhood, friendship, reader

e) How is conversion related to word formation? Give five examples.

Conversion is a kind of word formation involving the creation of a word (of a new
word class) from an existing word (of a different word class) without any change in
form.
Most cases of conversion are from noun to verb and from verb to noun. Conversion
from adjective to verb is also done.
(i) This is my bottle. (Noun)
(ii)She has bottled it up. (Verb)
(i) This is my book. (Noun)
(ii)I booked the tickets. (Verb)
(i) The access was denied. (Noun)
(ii)I could access it easily. (Verb)
(i) The jar is empty. (Adjective)
(ii)He emptied the whole jar. (Verb)
(i) We took a break. (Noun)

RCMAS-ENGLISH
EXERCISE
(ii) The mirror was broken. (Verb)

Chapter Thirty- Three : USING THE SPECIFIC WORD

a) Mention at least five animal cries not mentioned in this chapter.

(i) Bats – screech
(ii)Bears – roar, growl
(iii)Dolphins – click
(iv) Frogs – croak
(v) Owls – hoot
b) With the help of a dictionary make a list of five phrases in which ‘stand’ is the
main word. Use them in sentences.
1. STAND TALL: BE PROUD OF YOURSELF AND CONFIDENT IN YOUR
ABILITIES
Don’t give up because of one loss, remember to stand tall and try your best the next
time.

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2. MAKE YOUR HAIR STAND ON END: MAKE YOU FEEL VERY AFRAID OR
FRIGHTENED
That horror movie with the evil ghost made my hair stand on end!

3. CAN’T STAND THE SIGHT: STRONGLY DISLIKE SOMEONE/SOMETHING,

SO THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO LOOK AT THEM
She wanted to be a nurse, but she can’t stand the sight of blood – so she became a
teacher instead.

4. STAND ON YOUR OWN TWO FEET: TO BE INDEPENDENT AND SUPPORT

YOURSELF FINANCIALLY
You are twenty-four years old with a college degree. It’s time for you to stand on your
own two feet.

5. STAND DOWN: TO RELAX AND NOT PARTICIPATE IN A CONFLICT OR

FIGHT
After the peace treaty was signed, the commander gave the order for the soldiers to
stand down.

RCMAS-ENGLISH
c) What are the sounds the wind produce? Mention five such sounds and use them
in sentences.
(i) Rustling – We heard soft rustling of leaves in the thick forest.
(ii) Whistling - The storm hit with a loud whistling sound.

(iii) Howling - If the wind howls, it blows with a long loud sound.

(iv) Sighing - If the wind sighs, it makes a long soft low sound

(v) Soughing - If the wind soughs, it makes a soft noise like a sigh

d) Mention five speech words (e.g. murmur ) and use them in sentences.
Mutter - He muttered something under his breath.
Whisper - Her whisper was almost too quiet for him to hear.
Stutter - My voice was so hesitant it sounded like I was stuttering.
Stammer - A speech therapist helped him overcome his stammer.
Splutter - She coughed and spluttered as she climbed out of the icy water.
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e) How do animal move about? Mention five animal-gait words and use them in
sentences.
English language has such a magnificent array of words to denote the movement of
animals, birds and people. For example, when we want to speak of a lion moving
about in search of its prey, we don’t simply use the word ‘walk’. We use the word
‘prowl’ instead. Human beings can dawdle, hobble, limp, stagger, stride, stroll,
waddle, and walk. But just as humans walk, there is a normal way of moving about for
each animal. For example:
(i) Ducks waddle
(ii)Elephants amble
(iii)Horses trot / gallop
(iv) Lions prowl
(v) Mice scamper

(i) I saw a duck waddling near the pond.

(ii)We saw some elephants ambling in the mountains
(iii)The horse broke into a furious gallop.

RCMAS-ENGLISH
(iv) The lion prowled in search of its prey.
(v) He saw a mouse scampering out of the shed.

f) The sound of the rain falling on the roof and the sound of plates being handled-
how do you describe them? Give examples.
The sound of the rain falling on the roof – patter
Raindrops patter on the rooftops.

The sound of plates being handled – clinking/clangour/clatter

The clinking of spoons, clangouring and clattering of plates etc at the dining table
made it evident that the guests are having their dinner.

g) What are the different words denoting the movement of a horse? Use them in
sentences.
Horse gait :

The walk is a four-beat gait that averages about 7 kilometres per hour.

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The trot is a two-beat gait that has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages
about 8 miles per hour (13 km/h). A very slow trot is sometimes referred to as a jog.

The canter/lope is a controlled, three-beat gait that usually is a bit faster than the
average trot, but slower than the gallop. The average speed of a canter is 16–27 km/h.

The gallop is very much like the canter, except that it is faster, more ground-covering,
and the three-beat canter changes to a four-beat gait. It is the fastest gait of the horse,
averaging about 40 to 48 kilometres per hour.

The pace is a lateral two-beat gait. In the pace, the two legs on the same side of the
horse move forward together, unlike the trot, where the two legs diagonally opposite
from each other move forward together. In both the pace and the trot, two feet are
always off the ground.

h) Suppose you are on the seashore. Write five sentences describing the sounds that
you can hear there.

RCMAS-ENGLISH
[Write your own description using the following terms : Splashing water / roaring
sea/crashing waves/ rumbling surf/ rustling sea-breeze]

Chapter 37 – BODY VOCABULARY

a) Make a list of five ‘eye’ phrases (eg., to see eye to eye) and use them in sentences.
(i) bat an eye (= showing no emotion)
(ii) raise one’s eyebrows (= feel surprised or disapproving)
(iii) apple of someone's eye (= a cherished or favoured person)
(iv) bird's-eye view (= a general view from above)
(v) catch someone's eye (= be noticed by someone)
(vi) cry one's eyes out. (= weep bitterly and at length)

b) Imagine you are writing a novel. Describe the features of a person you know.
[Make use of the body vocabulary terms discussed in the lesson to write your answer.]

c) Imagine a person who is giving vent to anger. What does he/she say? What does
he/she look? Write a short paragraph.

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[Use these different levels of anger in your answer - mad /boiling mad/ tantrum/ red faced / rude/ violent/
outrage/ fierce]

d) With the help of a dictionary write down five phrases in which ‘foot’ is the main
word. Use them in sentences.

i. A foot in both camps.(= support or have good relations with two opposing
sides)
ii. Back on your feet.(= to get well after an illness)
iii. get cold feet (=have a feeling of worry or doubt that is strong enough to stop
you from doing something that you planned to do)
iv. drag your feet (=avoid doing something for a long time)
v. be on the back foot (= to be in a position of disadvantage, or defeat)
vi. be on the front foot (= to be in an advantageous position, especially over an
opponent)

e) Describe five different kinds of hair.

RCMAS-ENGLISH
Black/gray/white/blonde hair
Kinky hair
Brunette/ blonde hair
Untidy/ dishevelled hair
Entangled/ matted hair

Chapter 47 – ‘PRESENTNESS’ AND PRESENT TENSES

Chapter 48 – THE 'PRESENTNESS' OF A PAST ACTION

a) Illustrate how we can show a present action with the help of the simple present
and the present continuous.
i. I hear a muffled cry. (Simple present tense)
ii. Here she comes in. (Simple present tense)
i. He is cooking his own meal. (Present continuous tense)
ii. It is getting darker. (Present continuous tense)

b) What are the different ways of expressing past habit in English? Give examples.
Past habit can be expressed using: used to/would/past simple
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(i) We can use ‘used to’ to talk about past states:

I used to go swimming every Thursday when I was at school.
I used to smoke but I gave up a few years ago.

(ii) We can use ‘would’ to talk about repeated past actions:

Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.
My teachers would always say “Sit down and shut up!”

(iii) We can use the past simple in the same way as ‘used to’ and ‘would’ to talk
about repeated past actions.
We went to the same beach every summer.
I studied every day when I was in high school.

c) Correct the following sentences, Add a note on why these sentences are
considered wrong.
 I have been hating him all these years.

The given sentence is grammatically wrong. It can be corrected as:

RCMAS-ENGLISH I hate him. (Correct)

‘Hate’ is a stative verb and stative verbs cannot be used in the continuous tense
form.

 I have graduated from this university in 2010.

The given sentence is grammatically wrong. It can be corrected as:

I graduated from this university in 2010. (Correct)
Present perfect tense is not used with time expressions that refer to a finished
time period. We have to use simple present tense if the time period is of the
past.

d) Mention two differences between the present perfect and the present perfect
continuous. Give illustrative sentences.

The present perfect tense is used:

(i) To talk about present significance of a past action(completed action)
Eg: They have called off the strike.
(ii) To talk about more permanent situations
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Eg: that Cathedral has stood there for two centuries.

The present perfect continuous tense is used:

(iii) To emphasis the continuation of an activity started in the past(not necessarily a
finished action)
Eg: We have been waiting for this news.
(i) To show temporary actions and situations.
Eg: He has been standing there for half an hour.

e) Give example of the present perfect being used with 'just'. What does it show?
The present perfect tense shows a just completed action’ by adding ‘just’ which means
‘a moment ago.’ With ‘just’, it shows an action that is just over.
Eg: The train has just left. (The train left only a moment ago.)
I have just finished my lunch.

f) Show how the present continuous can be used to show futurity.

The present continuous can be used to express an action in the near future.
Eg: They are getting married next year.

RCMAS-ENGLISH
Next holidays, we are staying in a five-star hotel. (the reservation has been made.)
[The Present continuous is used in future while we refer to solid arrangements and
plans. For example, we are more likely to prefer this form when we have made a
booking at a restaurant or theatre or have bought tickets for a train/plane journey. This
tense is often accompanied by a time adverbial such as next month, in July etc.]

g) What are the other ways in which we can show future time without using future
tenses?
Future actions can be expressed using:
(i) Simple present tense.
Eg: The concert begins at 6.30 pm.
(ii) Present continuous tense.
Eg: They are getting married next year.
(iii) Using modals other than will/shall
It might rain in the evening.
You could try this new Pizza for lunch.
He is supposed to reach the station at 2.00pm.
(iv) We use the ‘going to’ form to talk about future plans and intentions.
Eg: I’m going to look for a new place to live next month.
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h) What are stative verbs? Give examples.

A stative verb is one that describes a state of being, in contrast to a dynamic verb,
which describes an action. The difference can be categorized by saying that stative
verbs describe situations that are static or unchanging throughout their entire duration;
whereas dynamic verbs describe processes that entail change over time.

Stative verbs are verbs that express a state rather than an action. They usually relate to
thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being and measurements. These
verbs are not usually used with’- ing’ (continuous tenses) even though they may take
on time expressions such as now and at the moment. We use the simple tenses for
them. Examples:

Paul feels rotten today. He has a bad cold.

Do you recognize him? He is a famous rock star.
Our client appreciated all the work we did for him.

i) What are the tenses of which the passive forms are not often used?

RCMAS-ENGLISH
It is not usual to convert future continuous, perfect continuous and future perfect
continuous into the passive form. Examples follow:

 Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.

 The future continuous tense consists of will + be + present participle
construction.

 In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.

 The future perfect continuous consists of will + have + been + the verb’s
present participle (verb root + -ing)

 I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning.
 The formula for present perfect continuous is has/ have + been + present
participle (verb root + ing).

 I had been working in the garden all morning.

 The Past perfect continuous indicates a continuous action that was completed at
some point in the past. This tense is formed with had been + the present
participle of the verb (with an -ing ending)
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j) What is the tense structure of a conditional sentence of Type two?

Conditional clauses consist of two sentences. One is a clause that starts with if, which
is called as ‘if clause’. The other is called the Main clause. Each sentence has a verb.

The tense structure of a conditional sentence of Type two is:

If + Simple past, Future past (would) + infinitive (V1)

 If she knew the answer, she would win the prize. ( but she doesn’t know the answer)
 If it didn’t rain, we would go on a picnic. ( but it is raining)

The type 2 conditional sentences indicate us a possible condition and its probable
result. If Clauses – Type 2 is used to express dreams, unreal situations and things that
are unlikely to happen. In other words, the condition specified in the clause is not
actual but is a condition that is currently being imagined.

Chapter 49- THE PAST TENSE

RCMAS-ENGLISH
EXERCISE-1

Use the appropriate past tense form.

a) When I (see) him, he (work) in the garden.

When I saw him, he was working in the garden.

b) I finished my work. Two hours after that, I went out for a walk. (Combine into a
complex sentence beginning with 'After')
After two hours of finishing my work, I went out for a walk.
After I had finished my work two hours back, I went out for a walk.

c) At last he consented to return the money he (borrow).

At last he consented to return the money he had borrowed.

d) When I (open) the cage door, the parrot flew away.

When I had opened the cage door, the parrot flew away

e) If you (behave) yourself, people would like you.

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If you behaved yourself, people would like you.

EXERSICE-2

a) Give two examples each for pure future and coloured future.
i. Some says the world will end in fire. (Pure future)
ii. Age will show white hairs on you. (Pure future)
i. I will do my best. (Coloured future)
ii. He is moving to Mumbai. (Coloured future)

b) Mention a future action for which there is present evidence, that is, a future
action as affected by the present.
See those clouds, it is going to rain.
See her face, she will break into tears.

c) When do we use the 'going to' form? Give examples.

(i)We use the ‘going to’ form to talk about future plans and intentions. Usually the

RCMAS-ENGLISH
decision about the future plans has already been made:
She’s going to be a professional dancer when she grows up.
I’m going to look for a new place to live next month.

(ii)We use the ‘going to’ form for making predictions, ie, something that we think is
certain to happen or which we have evidence for now:

It’s going to snow again soon. (The speaker can probably see dark snow clouds.)
Look out! He’s going to break that glass.

(iii)We use the ‘going to’ form when we give commands or state that something is
obligatory:
You’re going to pick up all of those toys right now. This room is a mess!

(iv)Also, we use the 'going to' form when we say evidence:

My stomach hurts a lot. I think I am going to throw up.

d) What is meant by future in the past? Give examples.

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When we talk about the past, we sometimes want to refer to something which was in
the future at the time we were speaking. We use future in the past to express the idea:
i. The last time I met her, she was leaving for a new job in Italy the following day.
(past form of She is leaving)

ii. They rang to say they would be with us by ten o’clock but then their flight was
cancelled. (past form of They will be with us)

iii. He said he was going to see the match but it was cancelled. (past form of He is
going to see the match)

iv. He promised he would send a postcard from Egypt.

e) Why do we use the future continuous rather than the simple future to make
enquiries, requests etc?
We use the future continuous rather than the simple future to make enquiries, requests
etc because future continuous tense sounds more tactful than the simple future. For
example, “When will you be coming?” is considered more tactful than “When will

RCMAS-ENGLISH
you come?”

f) Which are the non-future uses of 'will' and 'shall'?

‘Will’ and ‘shall’ have non-future uses when we use them as modal auxiliaries
showing determination, ability, intention, willingness etc. In normal situations, we use
‘shall’ along with ‘I’ or ‘we’ and ‘will’ with ‘you’ or ‘he’. But to show determination,
we use them the other way. For example,
They shall succeed. (determination)
I will clear the table. ( willingness)

g) What are the ways in which we can express futurity without using 'will' and
'shall'?
We can express futurity without using 'will' and 'shall' in the following ways:
(v) Simple present Tense
I fly to Paris next week.
The concert begins at 6.30 pm.

(vi) Present Continuous Tense

I am going for a movie tonight.
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She is leaving for Mumbai tomorrow.

(vii) Using modals other than will/shall

It might rain in the evening.
You could try this new Pizza for lunch.
He is supposed to reach the station at 2.00pm.

(viii) We use the ‘going to’ form to talk about future plans and intentions.
I’m going to look for a new place to live next month. [See the answer of C]

h) When do we use the future perfect continuous tense? Give an example.

The future perfect continuous, also sometimes called the future perfect progressive, is a verb
tense that describes actions that will continue up until a point in the future. The future perfect
continuous consists of will + have + been + the verb’s present participle (verb root + -ing).

When we describe an action in the future perfect continuous tense, we are projecting
ourselves forward in time and looking back at the duration of that activity. The activity will
have begun sometime in the past, present, or in the future, and is expected to continue in the

RCMAS-ENGLISH
future.

Examples:

In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.

At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.

When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for twenty-one years.

Chapter 50 - FUTURITY IN ENGLISH (no Textual Exercises)

Chapter 51- PASSIVISATION

a) Some sentences will sound better if turned into passive voice. Write three active
voice sentences of that kind.
i. They are building a bridge across the river.
ii. Tonight the film ‘The Ten Commandments’ will be screened.
iii. They are repairing the road.
iv. He built this house in 1947.

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b) Give examples of those tense forms that are not turned into the passive form.
It is not usual to convert future continuous, Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect
Continuous and Past Perfect Continuous), Future Perfect Continuous into the passive
form. Examples follow:

 Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.

 The future continuous tense consists of will + be + present participle
construction.

 In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.

 The future perfect continuous consists of will + have + been + the verb’s
present participle (verb root + -ing)

 I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning.
 The formula for present perfect continuous is has/ have + been + present
participle (verb root + ‑ing).

RCMAS-ENGLISH
 I had been working in the garden all morning.
 The Past perfect continuous indicates a continuous action that was completed at
some point in the past. This tense is formed with had been + the present
participle of the verb (with an -ing ending)

c) Mention the different steps for passivisation.

i. Find out the object of the sentence

ii. Examine the verb carefully. If the verbs are more than one, the last one of the
verb phrase is the main verb and the previous ones are auxiliary verbs.

iii. Begin the sentence with the object of the active voice sentence and retain the
auxiliary verbs after making the necessary changes.

iv. Then apply the formula: be + the past participle. If the tense is continuous, use
‘being’; if it is perfect, use ‘been’. For example,

I have finished the work. – The work has been finished.

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They are painting that house. – The house is being painted.

d) People believe that John has spent a term in prison.(Passive)

It is believed (by the people) that a term has been spent in prison by John.

e) So far NASA has sent 200 rockets into the space.(Passive)

So far two hundred rockets have been sent into the space by NASA.

f) They made him sign the document through intimidation.(Passive)

He was made to sign the document through intimidation (by them).

g) In ancient days people believed that diseases were the gods' punishment for
evildoing.
It was believed in ancient days ( by people) that diseases were the gods' punishment
for evildoing.

h) The class teacher awarded the proficiency prize to John.

RCMAS-ENGLISH
John was awarded the proficiency prize by the class teacher. (OR)
The proficiency prize was awarded to John by the class teacher.

SECTION H

IDIOMATIC LANGUAGE

Chapter 52- 'ANIMAL' EXPRESSIONS

Use the following phrases in sentences

a) Horse sense (basic common sense)

Grandpa knows a lot of horse sense.

b) To go to the dogs (to be ruined)

The man went to the dogs after he started drinking.

c) To turn turtle. (to turn over completely while sailing)

The mother held on to her infant with all her might when the car turned turtle.

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d) To cut the cackle (to stop speaking irrelevantly)

Let's cut the cackle and get down to business.

e) To smell a rat (to have the feeling that something bad is going to happen)

After seeing that the email came from a strange address, I smelled a rat and didn't open it.

CHAPTER 53- IDIOMATIC PHRASES

Each of the following phrases has a story attached to it. Get the stories and the meaning
of the phrases with the help of dictionary and use them in sentences.

a) Hobson's choice

= the choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all, in reality no choice at all. (Thomas
Hobson (1544–1631), worked as a licensed carrier of passengers, letters, and parcels
between Cambridge and London, England. He kept horses for this purpose and rented them
to university students when he wasn't using them. Of course, the students always wanted
their favourite mounts, and consequently a few of Hobson's horses became overworked. To
correct the situation, Hobson began a strict rotation system, giving each customer the choice

RCMAS-ENGLISH
of taking the horse nearest the stable door or none at all. This rule became known as
Hobson's choice, and soon people were using that term to mean "no choice at all" in all kinds
of situations).

It’s Hobson’s choice for Rachel; if she doesn’t agree with the new policy, she’ll have to
resign from the post.

b) Pandora's box
= To begin or introduce something that leads to many other problems. (Pandora's box refers
to the container opened by the Greek mythological woman Pandora releasing all the evils of
humanity into the world.)

Getting involved into my neighbour’s family issues was as if opening a Pandora’s box.

c) To be between Scylla and Charybdis

=Facing the dilemma of two dangerous positions. (Homer's Odyssey tells us about two sea
monsters that occupied opposite banks of the Strait of Messina between the island of Sicily
and mainland Italy. Scylla had six heads that ate sailors who passed too close. Charybdis
expelled sea water to create whirlpools that capsized ships that sailed too close. Faced with

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that option, Odysseus chose to sail toward Scylla and lose only a few crew members rather
than risk Charybdis's whirlpool capsizing the ship and drowning everyone.)

His effort of pleasing his wife and his mother, without offending the other was like to be
between Scylla and Charybdis.

d) Achilles heel

=a weakness or vulnerable point. (The legend of Achilles has it that he was dipped into the
river Styx by his mother Thetis in order to make him invulnerable. His heel wasn't covered
by the water and he was later killed by an arrow wound to his heel.)

Though he was a good person, his short temper was his Achilles heel.

e) A sop to Cerberus
= a concession or bribe to conciliate a person otherwise liable to be troublesome
(In Greek mythology, Cerberus was the three-headed watchdog which guarded the entrance
of Hades. In the Aeneid Virgil describes how the Sibyl guiding Aeneas to the underworld

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threw a drugged cake to Cerberus, thus enabling the hero to pass the monster in safety.)

To avoid tantrums in children, some parents offer them small gifts like that of a sop to
Cerberus.

SECTION I

INTERROGATIVES AND NEGATIVES

Chapter 56- NEGATIVES

a) What is meant by alternative negative? Give five pairs of alternative negatives.

The negative form of a sentence denies what is said in the original sentence. In
assertive sentences which have a pronoun as the subject, an alternative form of
negative is also possible. Alternative negative sentences are those sentences which can
express the same meaning in more than one way. Examples follow:

i. He isn’t coming. He’s not coming.

ii. They aren’t writing. They’re not writing.

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iii. We aren’t going. We’re not going.

iv. She isn’t singing. She’s not singing.

v. You aren’t listening. You’re not listening.

b) In a negative sentences assertive expressions change. For example, somebody
becomes anybody. Give five examples of this kind of negation.

i. Something becomes anything.

ii. Already becomes yet.
iii. Somewhere becomes anywhere.
iv. Too becomes either/ many.
v. Still becomes any longer.

(or write any textual examples of point No. 2 and underline the changes)

c) A sentence may be rendered negative using certain verbs. For example. I don’t
think it will rain today. Give examples of this kind of negation.

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i. I can’t imagine you becoming the chairperson.
ii. Please don’t suppose that you are heading this company.
iii. James can’t believe that his uncle is no more.
iv. Asha doesn’t think she is capable.

d) Negative verbs can be used to suggest negation. Give five examples. (‘deny’ is one
such verb. Eg: He denied that he had ever come here before.)
i. I forgot to ask for a change.
ii. He is unaware of any hostility.
iii. She refused to receive the parcel.
iv. Hari hesitated to sing.
v. Ganga disagreed to the proposed idea.

e) Give three examples each for the two kinds of contracted forms – pronouns +
auxiliary verb (e.g. he's) and auxiliary verb + not (e.g. don't)
Pronouns + Auxiliary verb (e.g. he's)
i. She’s ii. They’re iii. It’s

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Auxiliary verb + not (e.g. don't)

i. Will + not = won’t
ii. Shall + not = shan’t
iii. Can+ not = can’t
iv. Dare +not = daren’t

Chapter-57 – HOW TO FRAME QUESTIONS &

Chapter-58 -WHAT'S WHAT?

a) The members of the club conducted a meeting to felicitate John on his election as
the President of the club during the General Body Meeting. Based on this
statement, frame as many 'wh' questions as possible.

i. What are your future plans?

ii. Who is your favourite ex-president?
iii. Why did you consider yourself as the best candidate when you stood for the
election?

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iv. How do you rate last year’s club activities?
v. Which is your memorable event connected to our club?

b) Give an example of a declarative question.

You are coming with us?

c) Give an example of an indirect question.

I asked him what his name was.

d) What went wrong and what mistakes did you make? What part of speech is what
in each case?

What went wrong? – Interrogative pronoun

What mistakes did you make? Interrogative adjective

e) I do not know what I should do. What part of speech is what?

Pronoun

f) Give a sentence in which the word ‘what’ is an interjection.

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What! You are justifying your conduct?

g) How did you find your dog? What part of spech is 'how' is this sentence?
Interrogative adverb
h) Give an example of a rhetorical question.
Do you think money grows on trees?
Can’t you do anything right?

Chapter – 59 – THE QUESTION TAG

a) Give three imperative sentences along with their question tags.

Sit down, won’t you?
Don’t forget it, will you?
Stop that noise, will you?

b) There were a thousand people in auditorium,_______?(question tag)

There were a thousand people in auditorium, weren’t there?

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c) Nobody came late,______?(question tag)
Nobody came late, did they?

d) I am the captain of the team,______?(question tag)

I am the captain of the team, aren’t I?

e) They are uninterested in their studies,_______.(confirmative tag)

They are uninterested in their studies, aren’t they?
[Confirmatory tags are of reversed polarity. That is a negative tag (one with a negating word like not)
asks for the confirmation of a positive statement (one without a negating word)]

f) You are getting married,_______? (same way question tag')

You are getting married, are you?

g) You resorted to malpractice in the examination, isn't it?(correct the error)

You resorted to malpractice in the examination, didn’t you?

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h) He has been very kind to us,________?(question tag)

He has been very kind to us, hasn’t he?

SECTION J

CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH

Chapter – 63 – IS JOHN THERE PLEASE?

a) Write down the following telephone number in words, as you say it 9447399729.

Nine double four seven three double nine seven two nine.
b) Raju is calling Ravi. Compose an imaginary telephonic conversation between
them.

c) You and Harry. Johnson calls you asks you: Is Harry there please? What would
your response be?

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Johnson: Is Harry there please?
Harry: Speaking. What's up?

d) You receive a phone call. The caller wants to speak to someone specific, who is
not available. What would you tell the caller?
A : Can I speak to Mr. Jacob, please?
B: Jacob is out. Can I take a message?
Or
B: Sorry he’s out. Would you like to leave a message?

e) How do you conclude a telephone conversation?

A: Well, it’s time I got back to work. Ok. See you soon.
B: Ok. See you soon, bye.

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SECTION K

Chapter – 65 – DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

Turn the following passage into indirect speech observing all the rules mentioned
above. The passage id from Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers.

a) “What is your Christian name?” the judge asked Winkle.

b) “Nathaniel Sir”.
c) “Daniel. Any other name?”
d) “Nathaniel,Sir”.
e) “Nathaniel Daniel or Daniel Nathaniel?”
f) “Only Nathaniel Sir,not Daniel at all.”
g) “How could I have got Daniel in my notes unless you said so?”

(It may be noted that the judge is hard of hearing.)

a) The judge asked Winkle what his Christian name was.

b) Winkle responded that his Christian name was Nathaniel.

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c)
d)
e)
f)
The judge enquired whether any other name like Daniel was there.
Winkle confirmed that it was Nathaniel.
Judge asked whether it was Nathaniel Daniel or Daniel Nathaniel.
Winkle reconfirmed that it was only Nathaniel and added that there was no Daniel at
all.
g) Then the judge wondered how he could have got Daniel in his notes unless Nathaniel
had said so.

Chapter – 74 LETTER WRITING (no Textual Exercise)

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